Year of the Spark: December 25 to 30
by Sparky Army
Summary: Elizabeth has a hard time when John can't be found.
1. Chapter 1

_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers that Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you, and anyone might happen to read these works, agree. _

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some --and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

**AN (sparkly): **So here's a sixi chapter fic for you. I hope it's alright. Lame title I know. This is set season three before Tao of Rodney. And uh sorry for the clichéd ending of the first chapter lol. And um it's short.

**A Stargate Atlantis Arthur's Mantle**

**By: sparklyshimmer2010**

John stopped by Rodney's lab. "Come on McKay," he called to his friend, "let's go grab some lunch."

"Whoa whoa whoa, not yet. I think I've almost got this device working." He moved around to its other side. John looked at the lights on it.

"Looks like you've already gotten it activated to me."

"Activated, yes, but that does not mean I've got it to do what it's supposed to do."

"Maybe you _shouldn't _do that."

They'd found the device in a remote lab.

"Well looking at the base computer logs I don't think it's a weapon of any kind."

"And when has that stopped an Ancient device from hurting someone? Come on, Elizabeth said she'd join me for lunch today."

"It just needs a frequency setting…" Rodney continued, ignoring John.

"Come on Rodney, I'm already late and I wanna see Elizabeth since I finally got her out of the office."

"Oh is this some kind of a date for you two?"

"McKay! _No_. It's a friendly lunch."

"Yeah with stipulations to not talk about work?"

"McKay, if we had called it a date, would I be inviting you along?"

He looked only slightly offended and didn't respond, merely continuing to work on the device.

John sighed. "I heard they have extra jell-o today."

Rodney's head popped up. "Yeah? Ok ok ok, let me just…" he pressed a button and then there was a flash of light.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Yeah um, Rodney stole the explanation from Sam, lol.

Chapter Two

"McKay!?" John asked as the light receded. "What the hell was that?"

Rodney looked frightened. "I – I don't know. We're both still in one piece. I don't feel any different."

"Yet," John ground out.

Rodney looked at the device again and pressed a few more buttons. A pop up came out, a hologram of sorts, and as far as John could tell, was a book of Ancient writing.

"Oh no," Rodney sighed.

"What?"

"I know what happened."

"So something _did _happen?" John asked, rhetorically, pointedly.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "We got pulled into an alternate dimension."

"What? Like there's another John and Rodney here somewhere?"

"No, that would be an alternate _reality. _We're talking _dimension._ Right now we are out of phase."

"You lost me," John said.

"Ok look, walk through the door."

John frowned and looked at him curiously.

"Just do it," he said, making John wonder who usually gave the orders.

He moved to the panel next to the door but Rodney stopped him.

"No, I mean, walk _through_ the physical material of the closed door."

John looked at him like he was crazy.

"Ok look, you trusted me when I said shoot me back then, right? Trust me now."

John nodded. "Alright, but just so you know I just wanted to shoot you."

"You don't mean that!" He looked indignant as John stepped through the door, which surprised him, since he knew both him and the door were fairly _solid. _He stumbled back into the lab shocked.

"Whoa that was odd. Care to explain now?"

"We simply shifted into one of the several dimensions that exist in parallel to our physical reality. While we are here, we cannot touch anything."

John looked unhappy at that.

"And also, no one can see us."

"Well that's just great!"

"Same thing happened to Colonel Mitchell and Samantha Carter actually. Sam and I were discussing it once when I was on Earth."

"Ok then, how did they fix this?"

"Well uh, the thing is I'm fairly sure there's a way to do that by means of the device from our end, but translating that Ancient is going to take way too long for me. Meanwhile I haven't eaten lunch yet."

John muttered under his breath. "So we just need Elizabeth to take a look at the device then right?"

"Well I suppose so yes."

"Well then let's go get her."

"And how exactly do you intend to get her help? She can't see us remember?" John groaned. "They have to figure out we're missing first. They'd better do that fast."

"Well like I said, I was supposed to meet Elizabeth so she'll know something's up."

"Right. Let's uh, just go to the control room then?"

"She is so going to kill us."

---

John and Rodney arrived in the control room just as a technician was making a city wide call for the Colonel.

"Isn't that a _little _early?" Rodney asked.

"Guess she was worried," he indicated Elizabeth, who was standing next to Ronon and Teyla. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were apprehensive. At that moment he wished he could put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He already very much disliked the lack of physical touch.

"He's not responding ma'am."

"Yes Tyler, I got that. What could have happened to him?"

"Perhaps we are, what is the phrase, jumping to conclusions?" Teyla suggested.

"Teyla he's not answering. He wasn't in the cafeteria, the gym, the infirmary or his quarters. He's not here. I was supposed to meet him for lunch, but he never showed."

Briefly he hoped that she had eaten anyway.

"We'll find him," Ronon assured, in his usual gruff, no one is telling me otherwise way.

She nodded. "Well then, start asking around, where was he last. I want to know."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I'm sorry this is so super short, but i really wanted a seperate chapter for this bit. I thought it was a sweet scene to add. Hope you're enjoying.

Chapter Three

They'd been missing now for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, he hadn't told anyone where he was going. He'd woken up plate that morning (there were no missions planned today) and had briefly visited Elizabeth before heading out to a secluded balcony. He'd spent a few hours there (not realizing so) and from there had stopped at McKay's lab, whom he figured had been there for a long time as well.

But now Elizabeth and Teyla and Ronon had realized that Rodney was missing as well, soon after he didn't show up in the control room. So that helped. They were looking at video feeds now. If they didn't see him, they'd go back to the last number of hours. In the meantime, Rodney was working on the device.

To get away from Rodney's incessant complaining about food (thank god he'd found that power bar in his pocket) he'd gone to see what Elizabeth was doing. After a few minutes of observing her getting nothing done on some reports, she moved out to the connecting balcony to clear her head.

She just stood watching the ocean and he couldn't read her eyes. She'd been like that for a few minutes before she sighed and dropped her head.

"John where are you?" she whispered. "Why did this have to happen to you?" she placed her head on her arms. "I hope you're alright."

His heart swelled at her words. And he didn't fail to notice the use of _his _name, and not Rodney's. He knew she was the most caring person one could ever meet, so he knew it meant something that she was thinking of him only. He hovered his hands just above her arms, wishing he could rub them up and down.

Suddenly, as if she could sense him, and he thought maybe that wasn't so odd, she looked up and turned around. But when she saw the empty space, the mask that she had brought up fell down. She looked so unguarded. He liked to see her like that. But he didn't want her to worry.

"I'm ok Elizabeth," he whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: So uh, Lorne has a girl on his team, did you know that? Lol.

Chapter Four

"They just disappeared." Elizabeth stared at the screen.

"If you'd like to come with me down to the lab, I'm about to examine that device."

"Yes of course…Wait. I heard about this from general Landry. This exact thing happened to Colonel's Carter and Mitchell."

Yes!

"There might be several reasons they have disappeared you know."

"Yes I know," she sounded disappointed. She bit her lip.

Damn.

Zelenka looked at her and added quickly, "But if you gave me the details I can look into it."

She nodded appreciatively, looking brighter. "Thank you Doctor."

John pumped his fist in the air in excitement, mentally thanking Elizabeth, and followed the two of them down to the lab where Rodney still was.

He grinned at the scientist. "I think she's got it!"

"She?"

"Yeah, Elizabeth knows about Carter and Mitchell too. She told Zelenka about it."

"Oh yes, Zelenka, that's great." He glared at the man who was tinkering on the computer.

"Rodney," John warned.

"Shutting up."

"John? Rodney?" Elizabeth called out to the room. "I think you two can communicate through this device, so please, if you're there, press this button."

John immediately pressed the indicated button.

She smiled triumphantly. "Ok, so we'll say that one is yes, and this one is no. Are you both there?"

Yes.

"Are you both alright?" she asked anxiously.

"Oh yes, I'm just going to die of hypoglycemic shock."

Yes.

She looked relieved. "Did you figure out what happened to you?"

"Of course I know! I'm just glad –" John clapped a hand over his mouth.

Yes.

"Is Rodney complaining?"

Emphatic Yes! She smiled.

"Can you turn it off?"

No.

"Is there any Ancient writing that I can't see?"

Yes?

Before they could go further, Elizabeth was radioed.

"Ma'am, one of Lorne's team just came through the gate for help. The rest have been captured and she doesn't know where."

"I'm on my way up," she told him, then spoke to the men in the room with her. "Doctor Zelenka, be careful with the device. John, Rodney, just hang on, I'll be back when I can."

While she probably expected him to stay, John followed her out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Alright, so Elizabeth was not going to be happy with him when she found out about this, he knew that, but he couldn't get hurt and he could easily find out where Lorne and the other two men, who'd been captured by a society who valued women more, were being held. He needed to do this in case the two teams (all female) he was following couldn't get close enough.

He was sure she'd understand.

---

Elizabeth returned to the lab. "Doctor Zelenka, can you put the device onto the right frequency to do what it's supposed to?"

"Err, yes, I believe so. Why?" He looked up at her and his eyes widened. "No no no, I'm not sure that is the best idea – we don't know – what if –"

"Radek," she raised a hand, "I think I need to be on their side."

"But – but what about the teams out after Major Lorne's team?"

"Tell them to please report to Teyla. I need to get John and Rodney back."

"Well alright, you're the boss."

After a moment there was a flash and she saw McKay. "Rodney!" she exclaimed with a smile, as Doctor Zelenka looked around in slight bewilderment.

"Elizabeth, you can see me! Oh thank god. Now you can translate this mess for me," he pointed to the writing that scrolled across the popup.

She moved to is, asking, "Where's John? I thought he was here?"

"Yeah he _was._" He looked uncomfortable. "He followed you when you left earlier."

She cursed as realization hit her. "Damn you John Sheppard."

"What?"

"He went off world."

"Oh well he can't get hurt."

She glared at him but didn't say anything. Instead she went to work on reading.

---

A very boring (for Rodney) hour later, John walked in unharmed, saying, "Rodney get that device off ASAP, I know where Lorne and his men are being held."

Elizabeth gave him a steely look. "I'm glad something good came of you leaving."

John did a double take. "Elizabeth?"

She smiled sweetly at him, in a way that told him he was in trouble. "I don't remember giving you the order to leave Colonel."

He grimaced. "Rodney what is she doing in this dimension with us?"

Rodney shrugged. "Her idea. Hey, she can read the Ancient now and either way you knew she'd be pissed.

He looked guiltily at her. "I needed to do it."

"You could have been killed! If the device had been turned off, _then_ what help would you have been?"

"Elizabeth," he started. While he understood her rationale, he was used to taking the risks.

"No, I understand John. Ironically, Colonel Mitchell did the exact same thing. I admire you both for doing it too. You're brave, and caring, and completely disregard what could happen to you. I like that." She smiled at him

"What else do you like?" he asked teasingly.

"A lot," she answered truthfully.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: And the conclusion! Thanks for reading.

Chapter Six

John nodded to the technicians as he passed them on his way to Elizabeth's office. She'd gotten them out of that other dimension rather quickly. It had apparently been as simple as pressing the "off" button. She'd even got a history of a battle with the Wraith. As soon as they'd gotten back, he'd grabbed some more power bars and led his team in for a rescue of Lorne.

In the excitement though, he hadn't gotten to talk to Elizabeth alone yet.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey. How's it going?"

"Fine." She raised an eyebrow at him.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Look, I just wanted to apologize for going off world."

"Are you?"

"For making you worry, yes."

She nodded. "I always worry about John."

He glanced at her sideways. "Yeah, I uh, was there on the balcony."

Her eyes widened and she had to look away. When he turned her face back towards him there was that unguarded look again.

"I could have sworn you were there."

"You _shouldn't _worry so much you know."

She smiled sadly. "I can't help it when it comes to you."

"Well I'll always come back home. And when I'm not here, as cliché as it is, my heart is always with you."


End file.
